Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-18

appeared forever. VI course tnlS Is q
fable, but 1 wish 1 could, on the sweet
flute of the gospel, draw forth all the nib
bling and burrOwing annoyances Of your
life and play them down into the depths
forever. How many touches did the
artist give to his picture of "Cotopaxi,"
or his Heart of the Andes?" 1 suppose
about $4,000 touches. I hear the
canvas saying, "Why do you
keep me trembling with that
pencil so long? Why don't you pat
artist, 81 know how to make painting;
it will take $4,000 of these touches"
And l want you, my friends, to under
stand that it is these 10000 annoyances
which, under God, are making up the
picture of your life, to be hung at last in
the galleries OF heaven, fit for angels to
iook at. God knows how 20 make g
picture.
60 into sculptor's studio, and see
him shaping g statue. He has q chisel in
one hand and q mallet in the other, and
be gives very gentle strOhe-click,
click, click! | say, "Why don't you
strike harder?" "Ohv he replies, "that
would sh8tter the statue. l can't do it
that way; must do it this way" So he
works on, and after awhile the features
come out, and everybody that enters tbe
studio is charmed and fascinated. Well,
God has your soul under process of de-
veIopment, and it is the little aDnOyances
and vexations OF life that are Chiseling
cut your immortal nature. It IS click,
click. click. l wonder why some great
providence does not come, and
WITH ONE STROKE
prepare you for heaven. An, no; God
says that is not the way. And so He
keeps on by strokes of little vexationS,
until at last you shall be q glad spectaC Z
for angels and for men. You know that a
large fortune may be spent in small
change, and a vast amount Of moral
character may 60 away in small depletion.
It is the little troubles of life that are
| having more effect upon you than great
ones. A swarm Of IOcusts will kill a
grain field sooner than the inCurslon Of
three or four Cattle. You say, "SinCe
lost my child, since | lost my property,
have been u different man." But you do
not recognize the architecture of little
annOyanCes, that are heWing, digging,
cutting, shaping, splitting, aud in
terj0lning your moral qualities. Rats
may sink q ship. One Lucifer match
sturehOuses. Catherine de MediCi got
her death from smelling q poisonous
rose. Columbus, by stopping and as ing
for piece Of bread and drink Of water
at q Franciscan convent, was led II the
discovery of a new world. Aud there is
al intimate connection between tritieS
and immensities, between nothings and
everythiDgs.
Now, be careful to let none Of those
anlUyaGces go through your soul uu2r-
Taigned. Compel them to administer to
your spIiluai wealth. The scratch cf
>iXpenny nail sometimes produces Ioch-
jaw, end the clip of a most inioiteSimal
annoyance may damage you forever. Do
ret 1t any annoyance Or perpIeZity
come across your soul without its
making you better.
Our national government does not think
it beIittiug to put
TAX ON PINS,
and tax on buckles. and tax on shoes.
The individual taxes do not amount TO
much, but in the aggregate TO millions
and millions OF dollars. And / would
nave you, 0 Christian man, put high
tariff on every annoyance and yeXatiOn
that comes through your soul. This
might not amount to much, in single
cases, but in the aggre gate it would be g
great revenue of spiritual strength and
satisfaction. bee can suck honey even
out of nettle; and if you have the grace
OF God IN your heart, you can get sweet
ness out of that which would otherwise
irritate and annoy. a returned mission
airy told me that company of adVentur
er5 rowing up the Gauges were Stung to
death by flies that infest that region 1T
certain seasons. | have seen the
earth strewed with the Carcasses of
men slain By insecs annOyanCes. The
only way to get prepared for the great
troubles OF life is to conquer these
small troubles. What would you say
Of q soldier who refused to lOsd his
gun, or to so into the conflict because it
was only skirmtSb, saying: am not
going to eXpend my emunitiOn on a Skin
mish; wait until there comes g general
engagement and then you will see how
courageous | am and what battling | Will
dO?' The General would say to such
man: "If you are not faithful in q SKir-
mish you would be nothing in g general
engagement" And l have to tell you,
oh Christian men, If you cannot apply the |
principles of Cnrist's religion on a small !
scale you will never be able to apply them |
on q large scale.
If | had my way with you | would have /
you possess all possible worldly prospect |
ty. | would have you each one garden /
= river flowing through it, geraniums
and shrubs on the sides, and the grass
and flowers as beautiful as though the
rainbow had fallen. l would have you q |
house, splendid mansion, and the bed !
should be covered with upholstery dipped |
in the setting sun. | would have every
hall in your house set with statues and
statuettes, and then l would have the four
quarters of the globe pour IN
ALL THEIR LUXURIES
on your table, and you should have forks |
of silver and knives Of gold, inlaid with |
diamonds and smethYsts Then you
should each one of you have the finest |
horses and yOuEpick Of the equipages of
the world. Then l would have you live i
100 years, and you should not have pain |
or ache until the last breath. 'Not each !
one of us?" you say. Yes, each one of
you. "Not to your enemies?" Yes; the |
only ference l would make with them |
would be that l would put little extra
gilt on their walls, and q little
extra embroidery on their slip |
pers. But you say, "why does not God !
give US all these things?" All! I bethink
myself He is wiser. 1t would make |
fools and sluggards of US if we had our
way. No man puts his best picture in
the portico or vestibule of his house.
God meant this world to be only the YES
tibule of heaven, that great gallery Of the
universe toward which We are aspiring.
We must not have it too good in this
world, or We would want no heaven.
Polycarp was CONDEMNED to be burnt 10
Anntk 81 10 1.lnrtnd L.